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Named as one of the top ideas in 2006 by the New York Times Magazine, Kiva (www.kiva.org) is the world's first person-to-person lending marketplace for the poor. Kiva's goal is to reduce global poverty by letting consumers lend to and connect with a specific developing world entrepreneur online. Affordable capital helps low income entrepreneurs start or expand small businesses, creating a path towards economic self sufficiency. In a little over a year, Kiva has rapidly grown to become the most trafficked site in microfinance with +55,000 Internet lenders generating +$5 million in loans to thousands of entrepreneurs in +26 developing countries – all with a +99% on time repayment rate thus far. Kiva is staffed and governed by experienced consumer Internet and microfinance leaders. In addition, a number of major internet partners are supporting Kiva, including PayPal, YouTube, Google, MySpace and Microsoft. Kiva has also received wide acclaim from the blogosphere (+4,000 blogs), mainstream media (NPR, BBC, CNN, Wall Street Journal, etc) and development experts (featured at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative and 2006 Global Microcredit Summit). Headquartered in San Francisco, Kiva is a 501(c)3 non-profit internet start-up that has a rare opportunity for dramatic growth and profound systemic impact. Visit us at www.kiva.org.

Kiva currently needs qualified Fellows to travel to and live in the host country with one of our partner microfinance institutions (MFI) for a minimum of 10 weeks. During this time, you will immerse yourself in the local culture, work with our partner’s loan officers, and conduct multiple interviews with our entrepreneurs, to capture and convey their lives and the impact of the Kiva loan. The descriptive and engaging journals you will write (and the photos and videos you take) will be regularly uploaded to Kiva.org and will have a profound impact on connecting and personalizing the lives of our entrepreneurs for the Kiva Lender. See http://www.kiva.org/about/aboutfellowsprogram/ for more information and how to apply.